TAH BSO next Tuesday

Hi everyone. My TAH BSO (leaving one ovary) is scheduled for this Tuesday, June 21st. I'm 34 with no children. I've had such a range of emotions since I found out. Sad, nervous, angry, but also happy that this could finally make me well and pain free. I could go on and on about the emotions I've had. I know it's all normal but it really has been hard to deal with.

I've been sick and in so much pain for two years now. After so many doctors and specialists, we now know where my pain & fevers are coming from. Both of my tubes are blocked, my left tube and ovary are adhered to my colon. At first, my gyn was only going to remove both of my tubes laparoscopicly. When he got in there, he discovered my left tube and ovary are adhered to my colon. He couldn't remove it then. One because I hadn'thad any bowel prep and two, he said he probably couldn't do it with a scope. He told my husband I would need another surgery to remove my tubes. No mention of hysterectomy then.

When we went in for my post op visit is when he suggested a TAH BSO (leaving my right ovary). He actually said "It looks nasty in there". He did explain everything very well and as sad as it is, I know I made the right decision and this will make me well again. He's pretty sure it's my answer too. He also told me that if his wife had in her what I have in me, he would suggest the same to her.


There will be a general surgeon in there with my GYN. If my GYN can't get my left tube away from my colon cleanly, the GS will try and if she can't, they may have to do a resection and I possibly could end up with a temporary ostomy.

I'm just curious if any of you have been though anything similar with adhesions involving other body parts. I'm also curious about the post-op pain and what to expect when I come home from the hospital. My GYN said he'll probably implant a pain pump for me to come home with and my recovery time will be about 6-8 weeks. He also said I'll be in the hospital 4-6 days depending on what they have to do regarding my colon.

Thanks for listening
Lucy

Wow Lucy, bless your heart. I'm so sorry you're having to go through all this.
I had a TAH BSO last year though my organs weren't attached to the bowel the way yours are.
If they don't have to resect the bowel here's what you can expect from the experience (at least here's what it was like for me)
The first 24 hours I was so stoned on morphine (pump) I don't remember much of anything. I don't remember pain. I think I had some but trust me, the pump makes you care not one little bitty bit.
The next day the pain was much less severe than I was afraid it would be and it got better every day. I guess I should say that the prescription pain killers I was getting handled the worst of it.
Good luck to you and I hope your surgery goes well and your recovery is a smooth easy one!

Thank you so much (((((ceedeewho))))) . I'm so glad yours was better than expected. I guess I'm always expecting the worst. In a way, that's not such a bad thing. Anything better than what I'm expecting will be great.

I've been in so much pain for the past two years, I'm already on strong pain meds and have been on and off for the first year but I've been on them every day this second year. I see a pain management nurse practitioner and she's great. I also see my PM Dr. ocasionally but he's really hard to get an appointment with. Sarah, my nurse practitioner has been through it all with me since we moved here to Iowa. I don't know what I would do without her. Nurse Practitioners are such special people. They have the caring of a nurse with some knowledge of a Dr.

Tuesday, I had an appointment with her and she explained to me that because I'm already on strong pain meds and have been for a while, the anesthesiologist will have to adjust accordingly. Meaning he'll have to give me more anesthesia. She also explained that during my post op pain management, they can't just give me a vidocdin (for instance) and expect it to help. She said I'll have morphine in the hospital but probably a higher dose than someone who hasn't been on strong meds as long as I have. My GYN knows all of this too and I think that's why he'll send me home with a pain pump. I'm already on Duragesic 50 patch every 48 hours but Sarah also gave me an Rx for percocet 10/325's for "breakthrough" pain that I've had the past two weeks and for any I may have when I get home even if I have the pump.

I can't wait until I'm off all these pain meds. Without them I would be in excrutiating pain everyday but they make me so tired and all the other side effects that come along with them. I'm ready to get back to my old/new self.

I have a ton of questions and usually ask my doctors everything but when my GYN said hysterectomy, I shut down and didn't ask a thing. I'm sure they'll give me a long list of discharge instructions.

Just hearing you say your pain was less that you expected makes me feel better. I know everyone's recovery, pain, etc is different but it does help so much to hear other people's experiences, good or bad .

Thanks again . I'm so thankful I found this site.

Lucy B

Hi Lucy,

My heart reaches out to you for all you've been through and I wish I could just give you a big hug but sadly we're too far apart. You are obviously a very strong woman to have been through all this and I believe this strength will sustain you through your surgery.

I had a TAH/BSO with repairs 4 months ago and for me the pain wasn't anything I imagined it would be. I found it at it's worse in recovery and after that I found it minimal. I stopped taking pain meds on the fifth day. Yes I still had discomfort but I could cope with it. To be honest I think many of us have much pain prior to surgery that we find the pain after surgery different.

Remember we all heal differently. Try to stay positive as I believe this can help so much. I hope you have a speedy and uneventful recovery.

Take care.............Karen

PS email or PM anytime if you wish to chat

Hi
My date is the same as yours and I am an emotional wreck. I too will have 2 surgeons bcuz my uterus is adhered to my rectal wall. I have been suffering for 10 years or more. I went through so many doctors telling me it was a normal part of being a female. I had a lap done on Oct. 12, 2004 and they found the endo all over the place. The doctor who did the surgery didn't have be bowel prep so he couldn't do anything about the endo on the bowel. I started my period at 81/2 years old and have had problems since. I was put on the pill at 13 to try to help but it never did. I also have PCOS and bleed a good 20 days out of the month w/ pain so bad it takes my breath away. I am 36 and have no children but I know the only way to feel better is w/ the surgery. I'm having a TAH/BSO and as nervous as I am I can't wait. I sit here right now w/ a heating pad and pain pills bcuz I have one of the worst periods of my life. I told my mom I now know god really is a man slapping me w/ one last zinger before the surgery. I hope all goes well w/ you and wish you a speedy recovery. I am also faced w/ a possible temp colostomy which freaks me out but I'll deal w/ it. Good luck to you and please let me know how you make out.

Lucy,

I had a TAH/BSO 3 weeks ago. My right ovary was attached to my bowel. The surgeons had to do a lot of 'scraping' to get it all cleaned up.

The first night in the hospital was rough because the pain got away from me. I didn't have a pump - was getting regular shots. There was an emergency on the floor that caused a shot to be delayed. Once we got it back under control, things settled down rather quickly. The best advice is to make sure you ask for help with the pain before you 'need' it. You'll know when you you're heading that direction. Since that episode (and before), the pain has been much less than I had expected. I was pleasantly surprised in this area!

10 days post-op, I was having a lot of pain on my right side and went in to see the doc. All of the work they did getting the ovary free caused extra swelling in that area. I also developed a hematoma in the area. The swelling affected my right ureter rather than my bowel though!

And, I found it interesting that I didn't have any problems with gas or bowel movements after surgery. I always have in the past - but not this time when they were actually working in the area of the bowel.

I still have tenderness on the right side. The docs say that is normal when they have to separate organs. So don't be surprised if you have residual soreness in that area that seems a bit stronger than the rest of the area.

I can also relate to your emotions regarding children. I don't have any either. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it. At least the surgery has given me so much relief that there are no regrets or lingering questions. I know that my docs and I came to the 'right' decision for me.

I hope that everything goes well with you and you get relief. Just be patient. It will take several days before all the drugs get out of your system and you get your bearings straight enough to realize that you do feel better. It's only been the last couple days that I have been able to fully appreciate the initial success of the surgery.

I am the same day as everyone here....

I too am finding it more and more difficult to concentrate... I think to night I will finish up what I wanted to get done tomorrow. No sense getting it started and not finishing it up.... At least if I do it tonight and don't finish I might get it finished tomorrow...

And being as I just lost my train of thought again... I think this is the 5th or 6th post I couldn't finish..I will let you go...

Ces